Introduction to Physical Anthropology
ANTH 2301 – CRN 30897
Southwest College
Fall 2014
Instructor: Molly Morgan, Ph.D.
Class Meting:
Office Hours:
Phone:
Email:
Mondays 6:00-10:00pm, Stafford Hub Rm. 318
Mondays 4:30-5:30pm or by appointment
Stafford Department Office: 713.718.7777
molly.morgan@hccs.edu
Course Description
This course is the study of human origins and bio-cultural adaptations. Topics may include primatology, genetics,
human variation, forensics, health, and ethics in the discipline.
Course Materials
1) Required textbook: Essentials of Physical Anthropology, 9th edition, by Robert Jurmain, Lynn Kilgore, Wenda
Trevathan, 2013.
2) A limited number of supplementary readings will be assigned. These will be distributed in class, on the web, or
made available at the library reserve desk
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
Through a study of Physical Anthropology, the student will be able to:
1) Describe key concepts and theories of physical anthropology.
2) Explain the principles and processes of human evolution.
3) Describe how the scientific method is used in physical anthropology.
Core Competencies
1) Critical Thinking – Students will complete in class assignments and discussions on the nature and controversy of
human evolution. They will also work individually and in small groups to synthesize and analyze information from
scientific studies and discuss how they apply to practical situations.
2) Communication – Students will demonstrate competency in written communication skills through assignments in
which they summarize and evaluate scholarly journal articles. They will also demonstrate competency in verbal
communication skills through class presentations in which they synthesize and illustrate information on targeted topics.
3) Empirical and Quantitative Skills – Students will complete exercises in which they demonstrate their
understanding of the scientific method, render observations into quantitative data, and perform basic computations.
4) Teamwork – Students will work weekly in small groups to analyze and evaluate data, understand and explain
information presented to them in articles and films, and debate critical issues in the discipline. These groups will record
their work in written form and present specific ideas to the larger class.
Instructional Format
The dominant mode of instruction will be lectures supported by Powerpoint slides. However, quizzes, group activities,
worksheets, and films will also comprise a part of your learning process. Students will be expected to complete all
reading and written assignments by the stated deadlines. Active class participation and small group discussion sessions
will be encouraged throughout the class period.
The nature of anthropological subjects is such that sensitive and controversial topics will occasionally surface during
classroom discussions. It is the responsibility of each class member to ensure that the classroom is a “safe”
environment where everyone feels comfortable expressing their thoughts, and in which everyone can feel that their
opinions are respected, even when not shared by all members of the class.
1
Course Requirements and Grading Procedures
All students are required to attempt the following in order to be considered for full credit:
Grading
Quizzes
Final Exam
Discussions
2 Student Presentations
2 Writing Assignments
Total
30%
15%
25%
10%
20%
100%
Grading Scale
A
90-100%
B
80-89%
C
70-79%
D
60-69%
F
<60%
Lectures, Readings, and Discussions
The majority of the course content will be covered in the weekly lecture meetings. You will be expected to have read
the assigned sections from the textbook before each of the appropriate lectures. Specific discussion topics may be
assigned prior to lecture meetings, and group discussions will often take place. Your discussion grade will be determined
by your attendance in class and readiness for discussion topics.
Quizzes
Quizzes will be take-home and open-book. Most of these will be short, simple tests designed to monitor the progress of
your readings. Quiz questions are designed to show you the most important information to be taking from your
readings. There will be no make-ups for missed quizzes.
Writing Assignments
Writing Assignments provide the opportunity for library research in a special topic from our course. Near the start of
our work on these topics, the class will have a live library research discussion designed specifically to address how
library research in archaeology is conducted and correct ways for citing research in this field. The writing assignment
requires students to find a scholarly article on an assigned topic in Physical Anthropology, and to write a 2-3 page
reflection paper on that article. Writing assignments are submitted in class – they must be double-spaced, printed, and
stapled. Late writing assignments are not accepted.
Final Exam
The Final Exam is a comprehensive exam, meaning that it will cover all material from this course. Since this is an
introductory level course, it is imperative that students retain information on all subjects taught during the semester, in
order to be able to proceed to higher level learning in Archaeology. The test will focus on the main concepts covered
throughout the semester. A good way to study for the final is to look over the quizzes. A make-up exam will only be
allowed if there is a pre-approved absence excused by the College and proper documentation is provided, or in the case
of medical or family emergencies which must also have appropriate documentation.
Classroom and College Policies
Attendance Policy
Attendance is essential for passing this course, and will be taken at the beginning of each lecture period. Students are
responsible for information covered during their absences and it is the student’s responsibility to consult with the
instructor for any make-up assignments. Your grade will suffer if you miss class – be sure to talk to your instructor.
Drop Policy
It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course for nonattendance. Students who stop completing class work for any
reason should contact the instructor and the college registrar to officially withdraw from the class. Student must drop
him/herself prior to last date to drop in order to receive a “W” in the class. If student has not completed or dropped
the course an “F” will be assigned. The last day to withdraw from a course is November 11th. Failure to officially
withdraw may result in a failing grade for the course.
Cell phones, Cameras, and/or Recording Devices
As a student active in the learning community of this course, it is your responsibility to be respectful of the learning
atmosphere in your classroom. To respect your fellow students and instructor, you will turn off your phone and other
electronic devices, and will not use these devices in the classroom unless you receive permission from the instructor.
2
Please keep phones on silent during class. If you have a SERIOUS family situation (such as a sick child) that might
require you to be contacted during class, please see me before class starts regarding leaving your cell phone on vibrate.
Use of recording devices, including camera phones and tape recorders, is prohibited in classrooms, laboratories, faculty
offices, and other locations where instruction, tutoring, or testing occurs. Students with disabilities who need to use a
recording device as a reasonable accommodation should contact the Office for Students with Disabilities for
information regarding reasonable accommodations.
Six-Drop Rule
Students who enrolled in Texas public institutions of higher education as first-time college students during the Fall 2007
term or later are subject to section 51.907 of the Texas Education Code, which states that an institution of higher
education may not permit a student to drop (withdraw with a grade of “W”) from more than six courses, including
courses that a transfer student has previously dropped at other Texas public institutions of higher education that have
already been counted against their six drop limit. Each student should fully understand this drop limit before you drop
any course. Please see a Counselor or Advisor in our Student Services area for additional information and assistance.
Services to Students with Disabilities
Students who require reasonable accommodations for disabilities are encouraged to contact a HCC Disability Support
Service (DSS) Counselor to make necessary arrangements. The DSS telephone number for Southwest College is
713.718.7909. The faculty can only provide accommodations requested through the Disability Support Services Office.
Academic Dishonesty
Academic irregularities cannot be tolerated. Attempts to compromise the integrity of this course will result in a grade
of zero for the assignment or dismissal from the class. Students must not collaborate on the exams in any way
(including the use of materials from former students) and must not copy material from any source to use as their
essay answers or discussion contributions. See the HCCS Student Handbook for details.
Cheating is not that hard to define and as college students, you should have a firm idea about what cheating is. Just to
be clear, here are a few simple examples of cheating:

Copying from another student's exam

During a exam, using materials not authorized by the person giving the exam

Collaborating with another student during a exam without permission

Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or soliciting in whole or part the contents of an exam or
paper

Bribing another person to obtain a copy of an exam

Plagiarism which means using someone's work or someone's ideas and representing them to be your own. That
"someone" may be another student, a friend, a relative, a book author, an author of material on a web site, etc. Do
not take material from anywhere without giving proper credit or reference. In other words, do not copy from an
Internet source and paste it into your essay

Collusion, which means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for
credit when you represent that work to be your own
If you ever have any question about what is cheating, what is plagiarism or what is unauthorized collusion, please
contact your instructor before you do anything or submit anything. It is much better to ask first than to get caught later.
In this class, the standard penalty for academic dishonesty is a grade of zero on the assignment. The penalty for gross
plagiarism and cheating on exams is failure in the course. Depending on severity and frequency, academic dishonesty
can lead to a recommendation for probation or dismissal from the College System.
HCC Student Course Grade Appeal Procedure
Any student who takes issue with the course or how it is taught should first express his or her specific concerns to the
instructor. Any challenges to the final course grade are governed by the HCC Student Course Grade Appeal Procedure.
3
The following statements are excerpts from the Procedure: (http://www.hccs.edu/hccs/current-students/studentrights-policies-procedures)



“A student has a right to appeal a grade that the student believes was contrary to procedures as specified in the
course syllabus or was based on bias, caprice, or computational or clerical error.”
“Faculty members have a right to have the grades they assign upheld unless it is clearly demonstrated that a grade
was contrary to procedures as specified in the course syllabus or was based on bias, caprice, or computational or
clerical error.”
“The student has the burden of proof. The student must present clear evidence that a grade was contrary to
procedures as specified in the course syllabus or was based on bias, caprice, or computational or clerical error.”
EGLS3 -- Evaluation for Greater Learning Student Survey System
At Houston Community College, professors believe that thoughtful student feedback is necessary to improve teaching
and learning. During a designated time, you will be asked to answer a short online survey of research-based questions
related to instruction. The anonymous results of the survey will be made available to your professors and division chairs
for continual improvement of instruction. Look for the survey as part of the Houston Community College Student
System online near the end of the term.
4
COURSE OUTLINE AND SCHEDULED REQUIREMENTS
Class Topics
Assigned Readings and Assessments
Week 1: September 22
Introduction to Anthropology
Textbook, Chapter 1
Discussion: Course Introductions
Subfields of Anthropology
Textbook, Chapter 1
Discussion: Forensic Anthropology
“Witness to Genocide”
Week 2: September 29
Quiz Due
Discussion: The Importance of Human Evolution
Critical Thinking Question 2, p. 23
The History of Science and Evolution
Textbook, Chapter 2
Discussion: Science and Evolution
“Science: Truth without Certainty”
Critical Thinking Question 2, p.49
Library Research Review
Week 3: October 6
Quiz Due
Discussion: Progress on First Writing Assignment
The Biological Basis of Life
Textbook, Chapter 3
Heredity and Evolution
Textbook, Chapter 4
Discussion: Evolution in Action
“Evolution in Action”
Work Day for First Writing Assignment and Presentations
Week 4: October 13
First Writing Assignment Due
Discussion: 23 and Me
Lab Exercise: Stickleback Fish Evolution
**This assignment counts as a Quiz grade.
Optional Film Lecture: Fossils, Genes, and Embryos:
www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/fossils-genes-and-embryos
Processes of Macroevolution
Textbook, Chapter 5
Week 5: October 20
Quiz Due
An Overview of the Primates
Textbook, Chapter 6
First Student Presentations
Primate Behavior
Textbook, Chapter 7
5
Week 6: October 27
Quiz Due
Discussion: Progress on Second Writing Assignment
Lecture: The Study of Fossils
Textbook, Chapter 5 and 8
HHMI Lecture: Stone Tools and the Evolution of Human Behavior
Lecture: Dating Techniques
Textbook, Chapter 8
Discussion: Methods of Paleoanthropology
Critical Thinking Question #1, p. 227
Work Day for Second Writing Assignment and Presentations
Week 7: November 3
Second Writing Assignment Due
HHMI Lecture: Hominid Paleobiology – First Part
Discussion: The Antiquity of Human Walking
“The Antiquity of Human Walking”
Computer Exercise: Skeletons Reveal Human and Chimp Evolution
**This assignment counts as a Quiz grade.
HHMI Lecture: Hominid Paleobiology – Second Part
Work Day for Second Student Presentations
Week 8: November 10
Quiz Due
Hominin Origins (from Australopithecus)
Textbook, Chapter 8
Second Student Presentations
The First Dispersal of the Genus Homo
Textbook, Chapter 9
Second Student Presentations
Premodern Humans
Textbook, Chapter 10
Second Student Presentations
Week 9: November 17
Quiz Due
The Origin and Dispersal of Modern Humans
Textbook, Chapter 11
Discussion: The Great Human Migration
“The Great Human Migration”
Discussion: 23 and Me – Health
Articles on FDA Directive
6
Week 10: November 24
Quiz Due
Discussion: Hemochromatosis
“Ironing It Out”
Human Variation and Adaptations
Textbook, Chapter 12
Film: Faces of America
Discussion: Faces of America
Legacies of Human Evolutionary History
Textbook: Chapter 13
Week 11: December 1
Quiz Due
The Human Disconnection
Textbook, Chapter 14
Discussion: Population Growth
Critical Thinking Question #1, p. 377
Review for Final Exam
Week 12: December 8
Final Exam
Disclaimer
This syllabus is meant as a general guideline for assignments and course expectations. Your instructor reserves the right
to make reasonable modifications, in which case the class will be informed of such changes in a timely manner. Your
final exam date is not subject to change.
7